Perforating-machine.



I'. A. McCALL.

PBBPORATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MARHB, 1912.

1,083,290. Patented Jan/6,1914.

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Patented Jan. 6, 1914.

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COLUMBIA PLANOCIRAPH 60., WASHINGTON, D. c

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THOMAS A. MGCALL, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONALAUTOMATIC TYPEWRITER. COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OFOHIO.

PERFORATINGr-MACHINE.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 6, 191a.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. MoCALL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Perforating-Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

The object of this invention is to provide a machine with which anoperator, by properly manipulating finger keys, may cause perforationsto be so made in a strip of paper that said strip may subsequently beused to control the automatic operation of a typewriting machine or anyother analogous machine.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of partshereinafter described and pointed out definitely in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of a machineembodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view showing the top ofone of the punch bars and its trigger together with the trigger detentdevice showing the positions they will occupy with respect to each otherand with respect to the depressor bar and trigger return bar when thetrigger has been released. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of themachine in the plane indicated by line 33 on Fig. 1, but when only apart of the punch bars and their associated mechanisms are in place.Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section in the plane of line AA on Fig. 1.

In the machine is a transversely extended horizontal die plate 1 havinga transverse row of vertical perforations 1 Just above it is a punchguide bar 2 in which are vertical perforations 2 which are alined withthe perforations in the die plate. There is a narrow space between saiddie plate and punch guide bar through which the paper strip 3 to beperforated may pass. Behind these two perforated pieces is a feed roll11 on which, when the roll is turned, the paper will be wound to draw italong over'said die plate. This roll will be turned in step by stepmovements of suitable length to draw the paper the right distancerequired after each hole has been punched therein by mechanism whichwill be described.

There are a large number of punches l,- as many as there are distinctiveoperations of the typewriter or other machine to be controlled by thefinished perforated strip. Each punch is associated with and secured tothe lower end of a punch bar 5 which moves endwise vertically in slittedguide bars 66. These punch bars are thin metal plates; and the punchesmay be of any cross section in shape, depending upon the char acter ofthe holes which it is desired to make in the strip. A trigger 7 ispivoted to each punch bar, and is normally held in an inoperativeposition by a detent 9. This detent in the form shown is a thin barwhich is slidable horizontally forward and backward in a suitableguideway. A spring 9 acts to move this detent backward and hold it inthe position where it will engage with a little laterally projectingfinger 7 which is integral with the trigger, and thereby hold thetrigger in the inoperative position.

The punch bars are arranged in a row transversely of the machine, andeach is normally held in its raised position by means of a spring Isecured to a fixture above the punch bar. Just behind this row of punchbars is a'horizontal depressor bar 8 which is vertically movable. Itsends are connected with two vertically movable slides 15 which areguided upon fixed vertical guide bars 14. Each slide is connected byapitman 16 with a crank pin 17 carried by the driving shaft 17. Thisshaft is to be constantly rotated while the machine is in use; andconsequently these slides and the depressor bar are in constant movementup and down.

Each trigger 7 is pivoted on a horizontal transverse pivot 7 to itsassociated punch bar. Each trigger has two arms 7 7 It is with thelatter'lower arm that the pivot 7 engages, and this lower arm projectsalways behind the punch bar. In the upper arm there is a slot 7 intowhich projects a pin 5 fixed to the punch bar. A spring "l' acts uponthe trigger tending always to so swing it as to carry the upper arm 7rearward so that it will project'behind the associated punch bar. Asbefore stated, it is restrained from making this spring-induced movementby the detent slide 9. Associated with each of these detent slides is akey lever 18, a bell crank lever 19 which is pivoted to a fixture, and agravity pawl 20 which is pivoted to the detent bar 9,which pawl has afinger 20 which by engaging with the top edge of slide 9 limits thedownward movement of the pawl. A pin 18 carried by the key projects intoa slot 19 in the horizontal arm of the bell crank 19. The laterallyextended finger 19 on the upper end of the bell crank lies just behindthe lower end of the gravity pawl 20. lVhen, now, any key 18 isdepressed its associated train of mechanism will be operated so as todraw the detent 9 forward and thereby release the associated trigger 7.That is to say, the downward movement of the key will rock the bell.crank lever 19 and the finger 19* thereon by engaging the gravity pawl20 will push it forward. This, of course, produces a like movement ofthe detent slide, and this movement is suflicient to release thetrigger, which thereupon flies to the position shown in Fig. 2. The keymay be depressed so far that the upper end of the bell crank lever willsnub past the gravity pawl 20. In any event, when the force tending todraw the detent forward is withdrawn, the spring 9 will immediately drawthe detent rearward to its normal position. In this rearward movementthe gravity pawl 20 may engage the finger 19 but the rear side of saidpawl is beveled and this will cause the pawl to be automatically liftedso that it may pass and drop in front of the said finger.

When the trigger has been released and moved to the position shown inFig. 2, the depressor bar will in its next downward movement engage thearm 7 of the trigger and will move it and the punch bar to which it isattached downward, thereby punching a hole in the paper strip. There isalso a trigger return bar 21 fixed to the two slides 15, and extendinghorizontally across the machine and lying beneath all of the arms 7 ofthe triggers. hen the slides 15 go up, this trigger return bar willengage the arm 7' of the displaced trigger and will swing it backward sofar that as the punch bar goes up the finger 7 will engage the detent 9,whereby the trigger will be moved to and then held in its normalretracted position.

If by any chance the trigger is displaced above the detent, and is thenmoved down, nothing will be broken because the finger 7 c will engagethe beveled end of the detent and force it forward against its spring,thus allowing the trigger to pass.

The feed roll 11 has fixed to one end a ratchet 22. A lever 23 carries apawl 24 for engagement with this ratchet. This lever 23, and anothersimilar lever are pivoted on alined pivots to the machine frame; and abar 25 extends between and is connected with these levers, the frontedge of said bar lying beneath and in engagement with a shoulder 5* oneach of the punch bars. When, therefore, any punch bar descends, it willpush this bar 25 downward, thereby engagement with ratchet 22 will turnthe feed roll through the required arcual distance. A spring 26 rocks inthe contrary direction this pawl-carrying frame which consists of thetwo levers 23 and the bar 25. Having described my invention, I claim: 1.In a perforating machine, the combination of a row of vertically movablepunch bars, a vertically reciprocating horizontal depressor bar, aspring actuated trigger car- "ried by each punch bar and adapted to bemoved by its spring into the path of said de pressor bar, a detentdevice associating with each trigger and normally acting to hold it outof the path of said depressor bar, and keys and means whereby they mayseverally withdraw the detents. V

2. In a perforating machine, the combination ofa row of verticallymovable punch bars, a vertically reciprocating horizontal depressor bar,a spring actuated trigger car ried by each punch barand adapted to bemoved by its spring into the path of said depressor bar, a detent deviceassociating with each trigger and normally acting to hold it out of thepath of said depressor bar,

means whereby the keys may severally withdraw said detent devices, and ahorizontal trigger-return bar which ismovable vertically in unison withthe depressor bar and is adapted on its up stroke to engage any releasedtrigger and move it into such position that it will engage the detentwhen the punch bar moves up.

3. In perforating mechanism, the combination of a row of verticallymovable punch bars, a vertically reciprocating horizontal depressor bar,spring-actuated triggers car ried severally by the punch bars and thepawl bar, which triggers are adapted, when released, to move into thepath of said depressor bar, a springactuated detent slide associatedwith each trigger and normally engaging the same to hold it out of thepath of the depressor bar, a pawl carried by each detent slide, aplurality of key levers and devices which are severally moved by saidkeys and which severally engage said pawls to move the detent slides inthe trigger releasing direction.

4.. In a perforating machine, the combination of a plurality ofvertically movable punch bars, a vertically movable horizontal depressorbar, a spring actuated trigger carried by each punch bar, detent deviceswhich severally engage said triggers andhold them out of the path of thedepressor bar, keys and means by which they severally withdraw saiddetent devices, a feed roll having a ratchet wheel fixed to it, arocking frame carrying a pawl for engagement with said ratchet, andmeans whereby said frame will be rocked whenever a punch bar is moveddown by the depressor bar. rocking lever 23 so that the pawl 24 by its5. In a perforating machine, the combinaair foo

tion of a plurality of vertically movable which as any punch bardescends will on punch bars, a vertically movable horizontal gage saidbar and rock said frame, and a depressor bar, a spring actuated triggercarpawl carried by said frame for engagement ried by each punch bar,detent devices which with said ratchet. severally engage said triggersand hold them In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my out of the pathof the depressor bar, keys, signature in the presence of two witnesses.

and means by which they severally withdraw said detent devices, a feedroll having a THOMAS MCCALL' ratchet wheel fixed to it, a springactuated rocking frame having a transverse bar,the several punch barshaving each a shoulder Witnesses SAMUEL AssUR, H. N. RUPPERT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

